Chapter 42 – The Grand Wedding (I)

Autumn in Kyoto was different from everywhere else, the red leaves of the western mountains were being held by little girls in the market and sold like flowers. The white weeds of the Great Lake of Yongyaoji in the south were also tied into bundles and sent to various rich people’s homes to be placed to drive away evil spirits. The cool autumn breeze traveled through the streets and alleys of Kyoto, drifting over the forest tops, brushing the smooth cheeks of the ladies on the streets, blowing away the steaming hot air in the eateries, and seemingly blowing away all of the dryness and obscurity of the whole year.

Tianhe Avenue is the most quiet and beautiful street in Kyoto, on both sides of the ministries of government offices, today is the first day of the year, just the first of the ten days of rest, officials have a rare day to relax, but can not be completely relaxed, because today is the day of the wedding of the Fan family’s son, Fan Xian, no matter whether it is not the officials of the Ministry of the household, always have to go.

This wedding was a big sensation in the capital. Husband’s family Fan clan in the capital is a big family, Sinan Bo Fan Jian because of that layer of relationship with the royal family, in recent years, the holy favor is quite grand, the minister of household department has long been sick at home, about another year or two, Lord Fan will replace that position.

The bridegroom Fan Xian, but also a bit of the recent boom in the capital, not to mention half a year ago, the ox blocking the street heroism, alone in the temple last month that drunken poetry crazy, has pushed him to the peak of the people’s words. Fan Xian has been hiding at home since then, so the people can’t help but be a little curious as to what this new fifth-ranked Taixue Fengzheng actually looks like.

The female party of course is also very big, the bride is the beginning of the year before the return of the Lin clan, but after all, is the daughter of the Lord Chancellor, Chancellor of the world Zai Xiang Chunqiu, is the head of the dynasty of the civil officials, the daughter married, this is a great event, although recently because of certain reasons, the position of the Chancellor of the dynasty is not as solid as before, but this kind of marriage is not in any political danger, the officials are still very willing to participate in the marriage.

The bride and groom are both illegitimate children, this matter seems to have been forgotten by the people of Kyoto collectively.

As for those high-ranking officials who knew the true identity of the bride, they had long ago secretly raised the specifications of their gifts by a few notches, and they themselves had long since been sitting in Fan’s mansion, just wondering in their hearts, what kind of gesture will the palace show today?

Fan Xian was dressed up like a puppet by five grannies, and he swore in his heart that if he had to undergo this kind of torture in the future, he would definitely run away from the marriage, or become a brave non-marriageist, preferring the ease of cheating to the tediousness of a big wedding.

The wedding ceremony of the Qing country is usually carried out in the evening, but Fan Xian was actually dragged up from his bed before dawn today, bathing, brushing his teeth is fine, anyway, there are convenient contraptions made by himself in Tanyu, but right after that, there was actually a matron who started to make rouge with warm water in a broken voice, which scared Fan Xian badly, and he hurriedly drank in and asked her what she was going to do, and it was only at this time that he realized, that it turned out that being a bridegroom He didn’t realize until this time that being a groom required him to put on makeup!

Obviously, this matter had exceeded the limits of Fan Xian’s tolerance, so he shook his head in disapproval. Even when Fan Jian personally came over to do some convincing and educating, he didn’t convince him. The two sides stalemated for the better part of an hour before Fan Xian gained the upper hand, only this made time much tighter, so five grannies flooded in to help him get dressed.

Originally Fan Xian has long been accustomed to this world’s clothing, but today still some can not stand, straight skirt of the big red gown inside, but there are three layers of different names of the lining, gown above, but also hanging all over the jade pendant, colorful tapestries, flower spikes, the color of the brightly colored to the straight hit the eyes.

Just to put on this dress, and spent many hours to go, and Fan Xian has been too stiff to move, and the only brain that can move very much misses and five bamboo uncle with a wooden stick to beat the miserable childhood time. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Liu, who was busy in her room with a slightly sweaty head, and couldn’t help but smile bitterly and think, is she really busy, or is she using the opportunity to get back at herself?

Putting on the tiara and tying on the jade plaque, with his silver shoe buckles pinching his feet and his gold collar pinching his neck, Fan Xian was pushed to the front hall by the grannies like a fool.

Fan Ruo Ruo and Fan Si Zhe also dressed up today quite joyful, especially Ruo Ruo, in the past a little too cold face, by the pink clothing, looks particularly spiritual. Siblings looked at the pitiful appearance of the elder brother, cover lips and laugh. Fan Si Zhe teased and said, “Where did this come from a flower dumpling?”

Fan idle gas knot, stepped forward two steps, do not want too many body ornaments, actually does not stop when ringing, he laughed at himself, “Where is the flower dumplings, obviously is a mobile color spraying big wind chime.”

The world’s most painful thing, no more than the color spraying big wind chimes have to go to the parade, good thing no need to ride a horse, but in a sedan chair, otherwise Fan Xian will be ashamed to cover his face and run back to Tanyu State. With great difficulty, the procession to welcome the bride arrived at the Lin Mansion. Lin Wan’er had already moved back to the Lin family ten days in advance, so she couldn’t go to the royal family’s other house to welcome the bride in front of the eyes of the entire Kyoto.

A burst of firecrackers went off, and Fan Xian sat inside the sedan chair slightly lost in thought, sniffing the faint smell of microscopic paste, and somehow remembering something from a long time ago. He shook his head and pulled his thoughts back, forcing a smile onto his already stiff face as he stood out of the sedan chair.

According to the rules, Fan Xian could not enter the house, and the prime minister could not go to the Fan Mansion today, amidst the sound of firecrackers and the sound of the sheng and flute, the gate of the Lin Mansion gradually opened, and the one who came out was the head figure of the Lin Mansion’s side, Yuan Hongdao, and this schemer had a red flower pinned to his hat today, which was really something of a flamboyant flavor.

“Mr. Fan.” Yuan Hongdao greeted him with a smile on his face.

Fan Xian laughed bitterly in his heart, and said that the other party had the style of Yang Er, but on his face, he forced himself to say, “Mr. Yuan.” The two of them had met a few times in the Sangfu in the past, and knowing each other’s identities, they were not strangers.

Today, half of the veterans in Kyoto who specialize in receiving the bride have been snatched by the Fan House, so watching the Lin House open, those grannies opened their mouths and said auspicious words there, hard to say Yuan Hongdao froze, and not a moment later, the crowd surged to the door.

Then met a really strong resistance.

As I said earlier, half of the wedding ceremony in Kyoto today was robbed by the Fan family, and the other half? Naturally, the other half was snatched by the Lin Mansion, so only to see the two parties spit and sputter, the surface compliments festive, but secretly is the sword without eyes, bragging about their own, secretly disparaging the other side, sounds more like the vulgar two countryside of the landed wealthier into marriage, rather than the prime minister’s daughter married to the son of the Sinan Bo.

Fan Xian laughed bitterly, he understood that this is just the custom of the country of Qing, but before receiving the marriage, the woman’s house must be a fight, said that after this ceremony, the newlyweds will be able to quarrel all the future fights.

Because it is customary, so there are very few because of this hurt peace, but which party won, is the main event. Either the east wind overrides the west wind, or the west wind overrides the east wind, after all, after marriage, although the woman married from the husband, but the family also want to show a little strength in advance, so as to ensure that the woman in the future in the complex backyard life in her place, in short, the marriage of the two families, it will be the first to rely on this talk about the mothers-in-law to fight for the high and low.

Fan Xian stood in a daze, not knowing how long the noise had been going on, finally realizing that the noise in his ears had diminished, overjoyed, he opened his eyes and shouted, “It’s done, isn’t it?”

After a moment of awkward silence, someone whispered, “Mr. Fan, it’s still early.”

Lin House clerk found the words, a cheeky smile, said: “It seems that the aunt can be anxious, that’s true, our family this young lady ……” again will be their own family girl a good blow.

I do not know how long, Yuan Hongdao realized that Fan Xian’s face was a bit pale, squeezed over and asked in a low voice: “Fan Gongzi and bear with it, Kyoto is not like Tanyu, there are really more rules.”

Fan Xian forced a smile and said, “I’m in no hurry.” In his heart, he said to himself, “I’ve endured this for more than thirty years, so of course I’m not in a hurry. After a while, this very vulgar ceremony finally came to an end, and after a burst of ceremonial music, the door of the Lin Mansion was pulled open for the second time, and under the welcome of the two bridesmaids, the bride, Ms. Lin Jia, finally walked out.

Fan Xian’s eyes lit up, today Wan’er all in red, wide-sleeved lapel, beautiful with endless joy, just the head of the red scarf covered the head of the bead crown and the face that one can not forget.

The people of Kyoto who were watching from the periphery grabbed Fan Xian’s eyes and called out, and some young people even called out to the bride to lift the red cloth on top of her head, so that everyone could see whether the bride was beautiful or not.

If in normal times, these young people talk like this, not to mention that the Lin family will beat them into a cripple with a stick, let’s just say that the members of the Qi Nian team who have been scattered in the crowd today, secretly watching everything, will surely also lock up these little bastards who insulted the future mother in chief in the Supervisory Court and lock them up until they die of old age.

But today is the big day, the emperor marrying his daughter-in-law also want to have fun with the world, Lin Fan two reserves can not be exempted, it is not good to destroy this atmosphere. Only Fan Xian some upset, faintly looked at those people, subordinates of those people will understand, suddenly the crowd resounded a few sound of a few inaudible ouch, it is estimated to be that a few of the most excited young people with the black foot.

After another set of routine procedures, the whole body of the red Lin Wan’er only lightly move footsteps, on the front of the wedding sedan chair.

Inside the whole process, Fan Xian didn’t get to say a word with her, to a glance, slipped a fingertip.

Back to the Fan residence guests have arrived, ceremonial music, lively.

The bride was first welcomed to the inner room, the groom stood in front of the main hall to welcome the guests, Fan Xian smiled and came to speak with people he knew and didn’t know, and on the other hand, he asked in a low voice to the person beside him, “When will we worship heaven and earth?”

“It’s still early, young master, after the same prison, the same seat, and the same vessel, there’s also the same ……”

Fan Xian didn’t listen to the words that followed, just suppressed the conflict of swearing and told himself not to rush. The head said before, it’s been thirty years of waiting, what’s the rush?